Gauff: "The goal is to prepare myself for next year and approach what's left almost like a preseason"

Andrés Tomás Rico | 22 Sep 2025 | 17.15

Gauff: "The goal is to prepare myself for next year and treat what remains almost like a preseason." Photo: Getty Images

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Coco Gauff returns to the circuit after a few weeks off following a North American hard court swing that concluded at the US Open, where she didn't meet expectations. The Atlanta native struggled with her serve, committing 23 double faults at WTA Montreal, and also felt the pressure of being the top-ranked American. However, she now enters a final stretch of the season claiming to have no pressure.

Despite being the defending champion of the WTA 1000 in Beijing, the world number three appeared very calm with no high expectations for the remainder of the season. With all Grand Slams settled and the WTA Finals as a major incentive, the Georgian views these final two months of competition as mere practice. She stated this upon arrival in China at a press conference where she also discussed the relief of winning Roland Garros and her collaboration with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan.

Back after a necessary break

"I needed to take a rest. Then, I've been training in Florida. Yes, I suppose the goal is to prepare for next year and treat what's left almost like a preseason, which is what I did last year. In the end, it was successful, so we'll see. I think at this time of year, everyone is always looking for ways to improve for next year."

Thankful for the support of the Chinese fans

"Honestly, I don't remember much about how I felt on the court last year. I think it was towards the end of the year. I just focused on each match. I was happy to keep going. But yes, what I remember the most are the things I did off the court. I visited the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, which was really great. This year, I don't know, maybe we'll go visit a temple. I've always had a great time here. The fans are very kind. I think I received between 15 and 20 gifts yesterday, and I've only been here for a day. I'm sure I'll receive more during the tournament. I really appreciate the kindness of the fans here."

Continuing her collaboration with Gavin MacMillan

"I'm still working with Gavin, but he's not here because we started at the last minute and he had other plans for this part of the year. We will work together once I'm back home. But it has been a good learning experience. For me, it has been a challenging journey, I think more mentally than anything else, like losing confidence in many things, and trying to find it back at the US Open."

"But I really think it gives me confidence for the future. I mean, in the second week, I had some really low moments on the court. So now, I'm looking forward to feeling renewed and happy, feeling that I can trust myself again and seeing how it goes with this mindset."

A season end without any pressure

"For me, I don't know why, but it feels different at the end of the year. Although technically I'm the defending champion of the tournament, I don't feel that way at all. I don't mean to say that I don't care, because obviously I'm not playing a tournament and trying to lose or anything like that. But yes, there's definitely a burden that, in a way, makes you not care, especially when you've had a good season. I think winning Roland Garros helped me shed some of that weight off. I think last year I did care because I hadn't won any major titles at that time, at that time of year. I don't know how I feel right now. I definitely feel much lighter. It feels like a training tournament. So, we'll see how it goes," stated a Coco Gauff who while defending the title at WTA Beijing, already has one eye on 2026.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Gauff: "El objetivo es prepararme para el año que viene y tratar lo que queda casi como una pretemporada"